The Mayan Priestess
by magan bagan
Summary: For the Age of Edward Contest. Edward, an explorer in the mid 1500s, finds himself a captive of a Mayan village. When he discovers there will be a sacrificial ceremony, will he make it out in time? Especially once he's introduced to the sacrifice.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

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**Age of Edward Contest**

**Title: **The Mayan Priestess

**Your pen name: **magan bagan

**Type of Edward: **Explorer Edward

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this contest visit: The Age of Edward C2 Community:**

**http://www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/The_Age_of_Edward_Contest/70125/**

I paused for a moment, sure that I heard something. It was a rustling in the trees, whispering voices, sounds that weren't coming from the three of us. "Would the two of you be quiet?" I hissed, trying to move closer toward the noise I had heard.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Emmett tugged on my arm, nearly pulling it out of socket in the process.

"What I came here to do." I removed my arm from his grasp and stepped forward so that I could try to get a glimpse at what was in front of us, glancing back to see if they were going to follow. This was what I had been dreaming about, what I had felt in my gut for so long and I was going to see it through.

Jasper opened his mouth as though he was about to argue, but thankfully thought better of it. He motioned to Emmett and me, signaling how we should proceed.

I nodded my agreement along with Emmett.

As quietly as possible, we moved into position and worked our way through the bushes and vines. These two men were my best friends and brothers in arms. We had grown up together and had been through dangerous situations such as this many times before.

Small pieces of the sun's rays began to shine through the canopy, letting me know that we were getting nearer, the rushing water and clanging of metal getting louder with each footstep.

My heart was pounding in my ears the closer we got. When finally I was able to see what was behind the dense greenery through which we had been maneuvering, I gasped in surprise.

A pyramid of sorts was in front of us, some kind of markings along the structure. People, men and women, worked side-by-side building an altar and throne of some kind.

The men and women wore very little clothing, thin strips to cover their most private areas, but very little else. Their darkened skin was glistening in the sun as they worked.

From what I could tell, it appeared that they were preparing for a ceremony, a sacrifice perhaps. Further, everyone seemed to be involved.

Jasper and Emmett showed signs of their shock at our discovery as their jaws dropped and eyes widened. We exchanged a few glances, communicating with each other silently.

I motioned with my head for us to step back and they nodded. As quietly as I could I began moving, keeping my eyes on the scene ahead of me.

Then I heard a loud crack and felt something snap under my foot. I glanced down to see a broken branch.

Normally in a situation like that, things would slow down and become very clear. However, I only saw a few things clearly and everything felt as though it was speeding up.

As the noise from the branch reverberated in my ears, I saw Emmett and Jasper to my left. Their mouths agape as they tried to figure out what to do. We were all rooted in place.

Off to my right, on the other side of the thick underbrush, I could hear voices nearing. It sounded as though they were quickly surrounding us, moving in all around so we had nowhere to run.

Hands reached out to grab me as Emmett lurched forward to get me out of the way. I shook my head and mouthed "run" to him before I was yanked into the clearing.

Being tossed onto my knees, I tried to get a handle on my surroundings. A crowd of people gathered around me and murmured softly, their voices milling together all at once sounded like the steady fall of rain that at any moment could break into a tempest.

Slowly the crowd parted on one end, just as in the tale of Moses and the Red Sea. I checked to see if Emmett and Jasper had been captured to, but they were nowhere in sight. I could only hope that they had gotten away alive.

My heart was pounding even louder than before and my breath was coming out in short pants as I saw a man walking toward me. He moved at a steady pace, the slowness of it made me even more nervous as I watched him.

A headdress adorned him head and there were various paint markings across his face and body. He carried himself in a manner befitting a great tribal leader.

I flinched when he finally stopped in front of me. If they were going to kill me, why didn't they just get it over with already? Continuing to hold the tense position I had taken, I realized that no one was making a move toward me.

The man in front of me began yelling at the others. I opened one eye to see him pointing around the circle at them. He appeared to be admonishing them, anger dripping off him in droves, and then he pointed to me.

Slowly, I opened up my other eye and tried to figure out what was going on.

From four different directions, women came charging at me, yanking me to my feet. They mumbled instructions to me in a language that I couldn't understand and led me away, toward a hut on the opposite end from where we were and a fate unknown.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

_"Edward, I would gladly allow you to continue your search, but the men are becoming rather impatient. We have been here for nearly year and have found nothing." Carlisle, my father, rubbed his forehead. Exhaustion was evident across his features._

_The men had been acting rather restless lately. We had promised them all riches and glorious adventure to get them, to buy their loyalty, and that hadn't really been the case. "Just give me a few more days, Carlisle. I know that there is something out there. I can feel it."_

_"Son, I have to do what is best from everyone. The Queen of Spain will be expecting our return soon," he tried to reason with me._

_"Father, our return will take months. What will a few more days hurt?" Ordinarily I would have let the conversation end once he had denied my request, but I could not do that this time. The dreams I had been having since our arrival on this island wouldn't let me._

_I couldn't quite explain it, but I felt a pull deep in my veins. Something was calling to me and I had to find it. "If there is gold or anything else here, I know that I can find it."_

_Carlisle kept quiet for a few minutes, watching me pensively. "Alright, I will give you three more days. But after that Edward, whether you have found something or not, we are leaving."_

_"Thank you, Father." I got up to leave._

_He cleared his throat. "Take Emmett and Jasper with you, I'd like to avoid another incident with the wildlife if at all possible."_

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

My body jerked awake, sweat dripping down my neck and chest. This dream had been more powerful than the others; I had never felt such a strong connection before.

Panting, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rested my head against the wall of the hut. Why were they keeping me here, alone and untied? They had even changed my clothes so I was dressed much the same as them. A piece of fabric went from my left shoulder, across my chest and back, tying into the waist piece that covered my lower extremities.

What were they going to do to me? If I could figure out how many guards were outside my door, perhaps I could fight my way out.

I stood up, making sure to be as quiet as possible, and looked around the hut for any signs of a weak spot in the structure. Anything that was loosened or about to break could be just what I needed to sneak out.

As I was searching along the back, feeling along the walls, the flap covering the door flew open. One of the men that had grabbed me came in and was dragging something behind him.

Keeping my body in a tense stance, I waited to see what he was going to do.

He gave one final tug to the thing he had been dragging, forcing it in front of him.

It was a young woman, her age seemingly not so different from my own. Her hair was thick dark brown, almost black, and perfectly framed her face. Her skin was pale and smooth, a hint of a rosy pink to her cheeks.

She was dressed all in white, slivers of her silky soft skin exposed. Her long legs were perfectly shaped and led up to slender hips. A light dusting of freckles layered her flat stomach, leading up to her chest.

Her hair had flowers strategically woven into the strands, forming a crown of sorts around her head. She looked like an angel.

Timidly, she lifted her eyes up to mine, the chocolate pools filled with terror and tears formed silently, threatening to spill over onto her flushed cheeks.

I waited to see what the man was going to do. His eyes darted back and forth between us a few times. When he seemed satisfied by what he saw he left.

Frozen in place again, I tried to form a logical explanation for what was happening in my head. Nothing made sense. I could not possibly fathom why there was now a beautiful young woman in my hut.

And then I heard a nearly inaudible sob.

Turning toward the girl, I saw her trembling with fear and trying to hold back her tears. "P-please d-don't hurt m-me," her voice broke. Her accent was similar to mine, from what I could gather. At least she spoke English

I held my hands up, trying to show that I meant her no harm. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." An overwhelming urge to wipe the tears from her cheeks came over me as I watched her curl up on the ground. I shook those thoughts from my head, trying to remain focused on the task at hand.

She kept her eyes on me, watching my every move.

Poor girl, what had they done to her?

"Can I ask your name?" I lowered my voice, trying to sound soothing so as not to scare her.

For a moment she seemed to be thinking over my request, weighing the pros and cons for each response. She bit her bottom lip, just the corner of it, as her eyes searched me for whatever answers she sought.

"Bella," she finally murmured her voice barely above a whisper. "Isabella Swan, but I prefer to be called Bella."

What a beautiful name. I couldn't help the smile that formed across my lips at hearing her speak. I felt a small tug at my heart after hearing her speak. That beautiful lilt in her voice, I had almost forgotten how much I missed hearing that accent on a woman's tongue. "It is nice to meet you, Bella. My name is Edward."

Nodding her head in acknowledgment, her rigid body slowly relaxed. She kept her arms wrapped around her legs, but the tenseness in her muscles had all but disappeared as she watched me.

I walked slowly across the hut, not wanting to frighten her again, and sat down across from her. The pull that I felt toward her at that moment made no sense, considering the fact that I didn't know her. Why was I feeling such a strong connection to this girl?

"Do you know how long you've been here, Bella?" I continued talking in a low tone that seemed to relax her further.

She shook her head.

I figured as much. It would be quite simple to lose track of the days if one had been kept locked up for an extended period of time. Turning my head to the side a little, I took in her appearance again.

The thought struck me that she seemed incredibly fragile, almost breakable.

Bella slid a little closer to me, a movement almost too small for me to notice.

"How did you end up here?" I asked gently.

For a second I thought that she wasn't going to answer, and then she brought her beautiful eyes up to mine and held them there. "We were… were bound for the Americas. Our ship wrecked in a storm and… I washed up here."

I wanted to touch her, to pull her into my arms and tell her everything was going to be all right. But, that would not have been appropriate under the circumstances. "No more than half a day's journey from here is my father. I will do what I can to get us out of this," I vowed.

A gasp escaped her lips. "You don't even know me. Why would you help me?"

Why indeed? "It would hardly be appropriate for me to leave a lady behind." I quickly stated. That seemed as good an answer as any.

She continued to watch me as my response sunk in. I wasn't entirely sure if she had believed me, until she moved a little closer to me and rested her hand on mine. "Thank you."

Neither of us spoke after that.

I sat reveling in the feel of her skin against mine, the absolute perfection that was her tender flesh. A warm, tingle settled over me the longer we held that small connection.

The pressing urgency I had felt since coming to the island was now gone. I couldn't really describe the feeling that had replaced it, but it felt so natural and right that I didn't even notice the subtle change.

Her eyes fluttered close, exhaustion catching up with her. Her breathing eventually slowed down and her head came to rest on my shoulder, using me as a pillow.

I did not mind in the slightest though. Her small body was so soft and warm. I took the opportunity to wrap my arm around her and pull her in close. A gentle fragrance, barely even noticeable, of orange blossoms wafted up to my nose. It was incredibly delectable, making this creature in my arms even more alluring.

She stayed curled up against my chest for hours, not stirring until the sun began to go down. I watched her the entire time, completely enamored with her, every movement and sound that she made more precious than the last. A hum of contentment came from her as I felt her back arch and she stretched awake. Heat rose up on her cheeks and I glanced down at her, a lovely tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"You said that your father was here." Bella pulled her head back slightly, her soft chocolate eyes meeting mine. "Did you wash up here by mistake, too?"

"We came here with the help of the Queen of Spain. She gave us two ships and a crew." I explained, running my free hand through my hair.

Bella thought over what I had told her, the wheels in her mind clearly turning. "Are you all Spaniards?"

"Only our crew. My father and I, and my two friends that joined us are British." I absentmindedly began rubbing her arm, tracing patterns along her skin. After we had been sitting in silence for a few minutes, I asked another question. "These people, do you have any idea what they might have planned for us?"

Her brows furrowed in concentration and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

I waited patiently for her response, but she gave no indication that she planned on answering. "Bella?"

She lowered her gaze from mine before speaking. "I've heard them mentioning Yum Chaac. That's their…um… god of rain… I think. Everyone's been practicing the tribal dance and one of the motions indicates rain falling from the sky."

That could not be good. If we were here as sacrifices, that would leave us with a small window of time to escape. As long as we weren't tied up I could find a way to battle our way out. Catching them by surprise would be the key. I'd have to keep their attention on me so that Bella could run away.

"Edward," Bella's gentle voice broke me from my reverie.

Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward and pressed my lips delicately to her forehead. I had to hold back a moan as the fresh wave of orange blossoms filled my senses. Pulling back slightly, I cupped her cheek in my free hand. "I was just thinking," I told her.

"What were you thinking about?" She didn't shy away from my touch as I stroked her cheek with my thumb.

"A way out of here. I will protect you, Bella." I promised her. How this beautiful creature in my arms had become such an important part of my life in only a matter of hours was beyond me, but I wasn't going to fight it. Not when our lives depended on it.

She kept her eyes on me, studying me intently for what seemed like hours. When she began to lean in towards me, the flap covering the door to the hut flew open.

I automatically tightened my grip on Bella, pulling her frame against my side. "I will get us out of this," I whispered against her ear.

Four men came into the hut. Two of them grabbed Bella from me and the other two pulled me to my feet.

Helplessly I watched as they bound her hands with rope and waited for them to do the same to me. Instead, they led me out of the hut and toward the altar. The sun was beginning to set and torches were placed along the pyramid and the throne area, burning brightly to light our way.

The men bypassed the altar as we neared it, instead leading me to the throne. They motioned for me to sit and then bowed slightly before walking off.

Carefully lowering myself down onto the hardened seat, I glanced around to see if this was a mistake. No one tried to stop me or yell when I finally sat down. Why would they bring me here? If they thought that we were intruders, why would they bow to me and let me sit in this place of honor.

Bella came out of the hut next, her mouth gagged and her hands still bound. Tears streamed down her face as they led her toward me, her feet stumbling as she struggled to walk.

She was bound and I was not. Why? I was brought to the throne, and that could only mean that she was going to the altar. That meant she was intended as a sacrifice.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her as they forced her down onto the altar.

That's when it all suddenly clicked in my head.

My heart began pounding in my ears as the realization of what was going on sank in. They must have thought that I was one of their god's, and Bella was to be my sacrifice.

Yum Chaac. Maybe they thought I was their god of rain, in human form.

What was I going to do now? They probably wouldn't fight me, but I didn't think that they would be too pleased if I just picked her up and carried her off into the jungle. There had to be something I could do, some way to distract them.

Bella's gaze stayed locked on me, never faltering even as tears continued to fall down her beautiful cheeks. I tried desperately to reassure her with me eyes, letting her know that we would be all right.

Darkness settled in around us, except for the light we got from the torches.

I watched as the chief made his way to me and bowed. He turned his attention to the many onlookers, people that I hadn't even realized had gathered around the area. My attention had been focused on Bella and how to get us out of this.

His voice boomed as he began to speak, making sure that he was heard by everyone. He must have said something that they all liked because when he finished they all erupted into hoots of praise and pound their chests.

A pounding, rhythmic beat came from behind me and I turned around to see what it was. Settled on the stairs of the pyramid with drum like instruments, sat a group of men, their increasing rhythm driving my own pulse in a race for dominance.

Turning my attention back to what was happening in front of me; I saw that some of the people had begun dancing. This must have been a ritual dance, calling for the rain. Each movement was clear and precise, in time with the drums and chanting.

My nerves were on edge as I tried to find a way out of this. I would have to be flawless in my attempt, find some opening that I could use to allow us safe passage.

When the pounding from the drums and the chanting stopped, I saw the chief making his way toward me again. He held a sort staff in his hand-no, not a staff. As he neared me I realized it was some sort of stake.

He stopped in front of me, holding the weapon out for me to take. When I did, he moved to the side and waved his hand toward Bella.

I took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. There had to be a way. Standing up, I slowly walked forward and glanced all around me, looking for a weak spot in the chain that I could break.

Stopping in front of the altar, my hands shook as I tried to maintain my grip of the stake. I noticed some of the men moving in closer.

Bella moaned, the sound bringing my attention back to her. She was trembling, every one of her muscles shaking almost violently, in fear.

"Love, I will get us out of this." I murmured to her. Raising my arms above my head, I tried to make it look as though I was going along with the ritual.

One of the men in the crowd, sort of the center point of where everyone else gathered, caught my attention. He was the biggest and possibly the strongest of everyone else, a warrior. He held himself as if of noble birth, his upper body erect and his nose pointed toward the sky.

If I tried to take him down, threw this stake at him and pierced him through the heart maybe that would distract them enough so that we could runaway.

Switching the stake to one hand, I drew my arm back and prepared to launch it.

Just as I was about to throw it, a shrieking cry broke the silence that had settled around everyone.

Completely frozen, I tried to see who had made the noise. If they had realized what I was about to do, we could have been in danger.

The cry, however, did not come from one of our captors.

A new group of people came bursting through the trees, shouting and yelling as the charged.

It was an attack.

Everyone was occupied as they fought for their lives, our presence becoming irrelevant.

Quickly, I dropped the stake and turned to Bella. If I took too long to think it could be too late for us. I removed her gag and then untied her hands.

"Do you trust me?" I asked her. When she nodded I turned back to her and bent my legs slightly. "Climb on. We have to hurry."

Her trembling body latched on to me, wrapping her legs securely around my waist and her arms around my neck. She weighed hardly anything.

I made sure I had a firm grip on her legs and then turned back to the fighting. There was no way that they would notice us leaving, the ensuing battle had them completely occupied. "Hold on," I managed to tell her before running off at full speed into the jungle.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The pouring rain made it impossible for us to travel any longer that night, so I looked for a place for us to rest. Off in the distance, was a cave.

Once I had Bella safely in the dry cave, I did what I could to gather dry wood for a fire. We needed warmth.

Silently, Bella watched me work. She kept her legs clutched to her chest, her arms tightly wrapped around. Her body continued to shiver, but not the same way it had earlier.

When the fire was burning and large enough to warm us up, I gathered this delicate woman in my arms and hugged her close to my body. The heat from our bodies and the fire would hopefully be enough to get us through the night.

I nuzzled my face into her hair, the flowers long since gone, and inhaled deeply. Her wonderful scent relaxed me, easing the tension I had been feeling from the moment they took her from me.

Her tiny hands gripped my arms and shoulders, slowly relaxing into me. A sigh escaped her lips as I rubbed her back with gentle motions.

This had been a long, terrifying day and I didn't want her to be afraid anymore. We were safe for the time being. For a long time we held each other closely, silently soothing and affirming each other that we were all right.

My lips, of their own volition, pressed against the sensitive skin below her ear. I couldn't help groaning at the gasp my kiss had elicited from her. It was just a light pressure of my skin against hers, but it seemed to be just the right thing. Trailing kisses along her jaw, I paused when I reached her lips. Nervously, I leaned in a little more and finally pressed my lips to hers.

Nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of glorious sensations as we held each other tighter and allowed the kiss to take on a life of its own.

Bella pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting mine as we struggled to get our breathing under control. A thousand emotions flittered across them, but what I could clearly see was the same longing I felt toward her.

I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand, gently assuring her that I felt the same way. Never before had I felt anything so powerful. My desire for her, the need coursing its way through my body, made it difficult for me to form a coherent thought as I tried to get myself under control. "We don't have to, Bella," I was surprised by the huskiness in my voice.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she continued to watch me, trying to ascertain what she wanted as well. "I… I want to." Her voice was tiny, barely above a whisper, but I could hear shyness and wanting in her admission.

A smile spread across my lips. She wanted me, too. It took everything that I had to pull her to me gently after hearing those sweet words coming from her.

I needed to take my time with her, to let everything I had been feeling toward her be shown and felt through my actions.

Knotting my fingers through her hair, I pulled her lips back down to mine. I kissed her more firmly this time, in an effort to encourage her to do the same. My heart rate picked up slightly when I felt her respond, her arms tightening around my neck.

The scent of orange blossoms and rain consumed me as I ran my tongue across her lip, hoping against hope that she would allow me the pleasure of tasting her.

Parting her lips slightly, I groaned as I realized that she tasted even more luscious than she smelled. Our tongues began a dance of gently stroking the others as our lips continued moving in synchronicity.

With great reluctance, I eventually pulled away from her, but did my lips lose contact with her skin. I kissed my way down her jaw and throat to her collarbone. Sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh, I grinned when I heard her moan softly. What a beautiful sound.

I let my lips graze across her chest, letting my tongue lick the skin every once in awhile as I kissed my way down to the center between her breasts. She shivered slightly and I could feel heat rising on her skin, causing me to chuckle at her shyness.

Slowly, I moved to undo the knots on the fabric of the dress she was wearing, giving her a chance to stop me. Loosening the knots, I watched as the straps that had been covering her chest fell, exposing her body to me.

A strangled growl resonated deep in my chest as I took in the sight before. I had never seen anything as beautiful as Bella was in that moment. Her long, thick curls cascading down her back, her beautiful pale skin now flushed, and her perfect full lips swollen and red from our kisses.

I could feel my groin straining against the fabric of the garment I was wearing, aching to be freed, but I pushed that aside so that I could focus on Bella.

She tried to cover her breasts, embarrassment evident in her eyes.

Before she could do so I took her hand in mine and kissed her palm. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Isabella."

Her lips curved up into a soft smile.

I pressed a tender kiss to her lips before I explored this new territory. Swallowing, I lifted a hand to Bella's breasts and cupped one in my hand. It was a perfect fit. Pinching the nipple, I darted my eyes up to her face to see her reaction and was surprised to see a look of pleasure. Her back arched, pushing her chest closer to me.

Moving things along a little, I leaned down and took her other nipple into my mouth and sucked on it. Her fingers wound through my hair and held me in place, so I took that as a sign to continue. I took my time lavishing attention on each of her breasts, sucking and licking and kissing them as her moans of pleasure filled the air.

Kissing my way down her stomach and to her hips, I realized that her dress was in the way. I gently tugged it down and off of her body. When I went to continue my attention on her body, she stopped me.

Grinning at my confused expression, she slid the strap down on my clothes and made to pull it off of me. I lifted my hips to help her, noticing that I was now standing at attention.

It was my turn to turn red in embarrassment and try to hide myself.

Bella, on the other hand, crooked her finger under my chin and lifted it so that our eyes met. "You are beautiful," she whispered.

Her lips followed the same trail on my body that mine had on hers, kissing, nipping, and sucking every inch of exposed skin that she could reach, the gentleness of her kisses threatening to send me over the edge.

When I finally could take it no longer I grabbed a hold of her hips and flipped us so that she was laying on her back, my body hovering over hers. She squealed at the fast movement, holding onto me tightly.

I worked my way down her body again, kissing a trail from one hip to the other, and the smell of her arousal caused my already hardened groin to ache with need. Resting my arms on either side of her head, I looked into eyes again, silently asking if she still wanted to continue.

Lifting her head up, Bella pressed her lips to mine and I took that as my answer.

Continuing to play my lips over hers, I began guiding myself into her, toward that delicious heat and incredible scent that had been taunting me. I pushed myself in slowly at first, finally all of the way through when I reached a small barrier.

Feeling Bella tense up, I held still and waited. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to cringe. I kissed her tears away, murmuring how sorry I was for hurting her.

The wonderful heat, the tightness of being inside of her was driving me mad, but I held still, waiting for her to be alright.

When Bella's hips thrust against mine a few times, I got the idea that she was ready to continue. Pulling out, I pushed back into her slowly. I set a steady rhythm of gentle thrust, trying to make up for the pain my invasion had caused her.

Her hips soon met mine thrust for thrust and pleasure was coursing throughout my body like I had never experienced before. I kissed her lips, her neck, her breasts, anywhere that I could reach as my hips picked up speed.

Soft whimpers and moans came from Bella as her legs wrapped around my waist, pushing me into her further.

I could feel myself getting closer, so I picked up my pace to bring Bella with me, grunting each time I filled her.

Soon she began to clench around me, gasping, and she brought me over the edge with her. The most mind-numbing pleasure coursed through me as we rode out these glorious waves. When I could move again, I pulled out of her slowly and rolled onto my side, bringing Bella up against me.

Her breathing came out in pants as she settled into the crook of my arm, pressing tiny kisses on my neck.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Waking up before the sun rose, I watched Bella sleep for awhile. She was completely fascinating to watch. Hearing her say my name made my heart swell with satisfaction.

I finally woke her when the sun began peeking through the horizon, kicking myself when I realized that she had to dress again. After seeing how wonderful she looked unclothed, I wanted for her to remain naked. It wasn't feasible, but a man could dream.

Bella climbed on my back and held on for dear life as I ran toward our camp. We couldn't have been that far from it now. She asked me what my family was like, so as we got nearer I slowed my pace down to a walk.

I told her about Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper, and a little more about our reasons for taking this trip. I also expressed my concern for the two men since I had no knowledge of their fate after we were separated.

Then I told her about my mother, Esme, and my younger sister Alice who was married to Jasper. Rosalie, Emmett's wife, had become a part of our family as well.

She seemed intrigued and couldn't wait to meet them, including the little pixie that was my sister.

As the gate to the camp came into view, I noticed that there weren't any guards posted outside. Keeping Bella behind me, I cautiously opened the gate and checked out the inside. It was completely deserted.

"Edward?" Bella's breath tickled my ear.

"They must have gone down to the boats. Carlisle said he would only give me three days." I looked over my shoulder at her. "Can you hold on just a little bit longer?"

She bit her lip and nodded her head tentatively.

I gave her calf a reassuring squeeze and began running again. The other gate doors were about thirty yards ahead and then the ocean, not far after that.

Running as fast as I could, I made it through the gate and didn't stop until I burst through the trees and onto the sand.

Bella climbed off of my back when she saw our ship wading in the water.

Halfway to the ship, a smaller boat was rowing toward it. I could just make out four men inside. Two had blonde hair and one was big and muscle with dark hair. I knew that it was my father and friends, it had to be.

"Carlisle! Emmett! Jasper! We're here!" I covered my hands over my mouth, trying to make sure that my voice carried far enough to reach them. After a few more yells, one of them turned toward the beach and realized that I was there. The boat immediately made its way back toward the shore.

I smiled and turned toward Bella, placing my hands firmly on her hips. "Are you ready, love?"

A blush spread across her cheeks, but she tried her best to maintain her composure. "I think so." The beautiful blush that started it all, formed.

With that, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. She was my home, what I had been searching for all along and I was not going to let her go.

* * *

Thanks to my lovely and talented beta **hopeful wager** for working her magic and making this all nice and pretty. Thanks also to **StarlightSuccubus **for listening to me complain about getting this story written. I hope all enjoyed and please don't forget to vote for me.


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